Prilosec Class Action Lawsuit
Americans faced with kidney failure injuries due to defective heartburn drug Prilosec may seek to become part of a Prilosec class action lawsuit with a group of plaintiffs, or they may seek an individual Prilosec lawsuit in order to recover damages. Either way, those who make, market and sell Prilosec as a prescription or over-the-counter drug must be held legally responsible for damages caused by the defective acid reflux, indigestion or heartburn medication.
When such medications are in a family of drugs known as proton pump inhibitors (PPI), they are known to contribute to kidney problems. Prilosec, Nexium and Prevacid are PPI drugs. Though they may stop acid production in the stomach at the source, they also may cause serious PPI side effects or complications.
Prilosec Class Action Lawsuits to date
Already, original Prilosec manufacturer AstraZeneca, of the United Kingdom, has faced Prilosec lawsuits and other legal troubles over its PPI drugs.
In 2013, AstraZeneca settled a $20 million Nexium class action lawsuit concerning deceptive marketing of Nexium. The Nexium settlement from the original maker of Prilosec resolved a long-standing class action lawsuit named Commonwealth Care Alliance, et al. v. AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals L.P., et al. It accused AstraZeneca of deceptively marketing Nexium as being superior to its heartburn medication Prilosec, and superior to its generic version, omeprazole, so that consumers would buy the more costly Nexium instead. Persons participating in the $20 million class action lawsuit settlement, now completed, included those who, between March 1, 2001, and Feb. 6, 2013:
- Bought Nexium in or from Massachusetts
- Reimbursed or paid for Nexium dispensed in Massachusetts
- Reimbursed or paid for Nexium purchased by mail order from Massachusetts
- Consumers in the lawsuit received 43.38% of the net fund, while third-party payors received 56.62% of the net fund.
Other Prilosec Lawsuits
Beyond cases of kidney failure, class action lawsuits may be pursued versus AstraZeneca on behalf of older women, for whom Prilosec brings a greater danger of spine, wrist and hip fractures, and on behalf of persons who have suffered food poisoning or other bacterial infections due to a higher risk of such ailments posed by Prilosec. AstraZeneca also has settled a lawsuit involving a number of states for its overcharging of government programs. It also may face criminal penalties for paying off a company to delay selling a lower-priced generic PPI drug so that its own drugs could remain costly.
As for Prilosec, it was approved in prescription form by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2003, and now is sold in over-the-counter form by American consumer products giant Procter & Gamble. Procter & Gamble also has been in legal trouble for its products.
With an estimated 20 per cent of Americans taking heartburn or acid reflux medications, the number of potential victims of PPI drugs is vast. Such victims may want to pool their resources in the form of a Prilosec class action lawsuit.
Individual Prilosec Lawsuits
It’s not yet known if settlements have been reached for individual Prilosec lawsuits, but such PPI drug lawsuits are coming. Meanwhile, the evidence against Prilosec is growing. Many studies and much research have shown that such PPI heartburn medications can contribute to kidney failure, as well as such side effects as bone fractures and heart attacks.
Also, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued stronger warnings on labels of over the counter drugs in the PPI category, indicating they may contribute to acute kidney injury and kidney inflammation, also known as nephritis.
Targets of Prilosec Lawsuits
Targets of Prilosec class action lawsuits or individual lawsuits can include AstraZeneca, original manufacturer of the prescription drug, and Procter & Gamble, marketer of over-the-counter Prilosec.
Other PPI drugs in the same category include:
- Nexium (active ingredient esomeprazole
- Zegerid (active ingredient omeprazole)
- Prevacid (active ingredient lansoprazole)
- Dexilant (active ingredient dexlansoprazole)
- Aciphex (active ingredient Rabeprazole)
- Protonix (active ingredient pantoprazol)
Get a Prilosec Lawsuit Attorney - Houston, Texas & Nationwide
If your family has suffered an injury due to a Prilosec, you can get a Prilosec lawsuit attorney or an injury lawyer from the Willis Law Firm. We can fight for your legal right to claiming economic compensation for your Prilosec injury losses, including payments for your medical and healthcare bills, your lost present and future salary and your pain and suffering due to the defective drug.
Whether you choose to engage in a Prilosec class action lawsuit with other plaintiffs or choose to file an individual Prilosec lawsuit, our law firm can help you with your case, starting with providing you a free legal review when you contact us.
